Dhaka, March 18 -- Whether holidaymakers or homebound, passengers travelling in buses over the Eid ul Fitr holidays are slated to shell out an eye-watering Tk 148 crore in excess fares, despite the government's claims of strict monitoring, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (JKS), a passengers' safety advocacy group.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, JKS accused bus operators of 'holding passengers hostage' and charging inflated fares. It even observed that Bangladesh was on the verge of breaking a 20-year record of irregularities in Eid travel.

JKS said that although the government, in coordination with transport owners' associations, publicly claims that fares remain under control, the ground reality is 'completely oppo...